A bomb explosion at the shrine of Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer claimed the lives of two people and left several injured on October 12. According to the news reports 5000 people were present at the shrine when this incident took place. This shrine at Ajmer is famous worldwide. It is frequented by the followers of Hindu, Muslim as well as the Christian religion.In another incident a bomb exploded in a packed multiplex at Ludhiana claiming more lives.

The two incidents are different in nature. One was aimed at a spiritual shrine while the other targeted a place of entertainment. Event the outfits being suspected behind these explosions are different.

Despite these differences one aspect is common. They are aimed at spreading terror. They are being perpetrated by fanatic forces against the entire mankind. Hatred for a shrine that stands for religious unity is evident in the explosion at Ajmer. The second attack was surely meant to create panic among people. Such incidents claim several lives every year. There is a dire need to enhance security arrangements at public places. Unfortunately we wait for the incidents to take place and then think about the steps required. It is high time we realized that prevention is better than cure. But ironically countries with elaborate security arrangements also face terror strikes. Then how do we counter such attacks? It is the big question we all require to find an answer to.

Nobel for Peace 2007

Environmental movements across the world recently received a boost. The former US Presidents and the intergovernmental panel on climate change were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2007.The two shared the prize for their worthy contributions towards environmental concerns. They have been selected for their works in order to spread awareness about environmental concerns and preventive measures that must be taken. Environment has become a major concern today. Global warming is threatening to melt down the polar ice caps. This can lead to the flooding of several land areas. The issue is much talked about but a consensus country on cutting carbon emissions which is the prominent cause of global warming is lacking. United States the biggest polluter is of course the biggest hurdle. The Nobel Peace Prize to Mr. Al Gore and environmental body is a positive scenario in this case. Hopefully the prize will help to focus the much needed attention towards the impending environmental crisis.

Sportsperson Marianne Jonnes recently accepted that she had used steroids before 2007 Olympics held at Sydney. According to Jones she used the drug called the Clear manufactured by Areal Laboratory Cooperative for two years beginning in 1999. She claims that it was given to her by her coach Trevar Graham.

Troubled Waters

Myanmar 's military junta has come down wn very harshly against the mass uprisings in the country. Troubles began with a steep hike in the fuel prices. It paved the way for a snowballing protest by the masses.

The protest was surprisingly initiated by Buddhist monks. Thousands of monks accompanied by the nuns lead a peaceful procession on the streets rd of Yangoon on September 23 . They demanded that the Junta should negotiate and reach a decision to resolve the crisis.

The movement gained momentum with the general public joining the monks. The swelling revolt was quelled by the Junta using a violent crackdownon the peaceful procession.

The world condemned such violent actions. But the junta has hardly paid any heed. It has been quick to blame the western countries and media of interfering in Myanmar's internal matters.

The issue of military rule in Myanmar has been raging for years. The captivity of supporters of democracy such as Aung Su Kyi and death of a pro democracy leader in detention are some of the human rights issues that the juntarefuses to see.

The Myanmar rulers remain defiant despite the threat of sanctions by the United Nations in the wake of the violent crackdown. India has advised the junta become more inclusive in its decision making process. But the world's largest democracy has hardly issued any strong statements against the undemocratic practices.

The uprisings show the urge of people to establish a free society which can take care of the needs of the people and give them a voice at the same time. The dictatorship in Myanmar must realize this.

Jones is regarded as one of the most remarkable athletes. The 2000 Olympics saw her at her best. She bagged five medals at this event out of which three were gold and two bronze. With the allegations of doping being proved, Jones stands to be stripped off her Olympic medals. It will surely scar the image of the superstar among her fans. Doping is spreading like a plague among athletes. While watching a spectacular performance by players you hardly know whether they are results of human prowess or drugs. This undermines the credibility of the sports as well as the sportsperson.

Sports are meant to encourage healthy competition and keep the body and mind fit. But for some players and coaches it is only about winning games. This is a very unhealthy view. The players have no right to get into such base practices and cheat both their fans and fellow competitors.

Triumphant Chess Champ

Vishwanathan Anand clinched the title of World Chess Champion on September 29 at Mexico . Earlier the title was held by Vladimir Karnik of Russia. Anand th replaced him with élan on the 14 day of the contest after tying a match with Hungarian Peter Leko. Anand dominated the tournament from the beginning.

The triumphant champ landed in th India on October 15 at Indra Gandhi International Airport at midnight. But the late hours hardly daunted the proud Indians waiting to cheer him. Anand himself termed the reception as brilliant. Chess players were also present to welcome him. Vishwanathan Anand was also felicitated by the President, Ms. Pratibha Patil for his grand success. The victory of Vishwanathan Anand is a sign that India can make it big in the international games. There is certainly a need to pay attention to the development of games other than cricket. Chess has produced several champions who have done India proud but still adequate funding and infrastructure required to encourage the emerging stars are lacking. It is time we came out of our fascination with cricket and started focusing on other sports and games which are bleeding due to the lack of proper attention.